Tag archives: freeway
The Montecito 101 segment is located between Sheffield Drive and Olive Mill Road. Plan summary: Highway 101 in Montecito adds a new peak-period carpool lane in each direction from the Romero Creek Bridge north to Olive Mill Road; new on- and off-ramps with northbound and southbound auxiliary lanes (lanes connecting on-ramps and off-ramps to improve […]
The Montecito Association held its Land Use monthly meeting on June 4, led by new Land Use Chair, Dorinne Lee Johnson, who is taking on the position for the second time since 2007. Kirsten Ayars, Ayars & Associates Principal on the 101 Highway project, presented the plan for Montecito through Summer 2025. This same presentation […]
Regarding the “Ring Nets” installed in the canyons above Montecito in response to the disastrous mudslide of January 9, 2018: As the Executive Director of an environmental organization in Santa Barbara, I joined the Board of The Project for Resilient Communities (TPRC) to watch the proceedings from an environmental point of view. The Ring Nets […]
At the Montecito Association board meeting this week, the 101 team presented on the Montecito construction for the freeway-widening project that started Monday, and will run, in phases, through 2026. The segment from San Ysidro to Olive Mill is funded, while the funding for the segment from San Ysidro to Romero Creek is to be […]
I would like to add something to the comments on the recent Board of Supervisors’ decision regarding sound walls along the 101 corridor in Montecito, which meeting I attended. My concern is that in this conversation we are perhaps disregarding the “elephant in the room,” which would be the status of our creeks and their […]
The Board of Supervisors heard the appeals filed by Scott Smigel and Bruce Mackenzie of the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission’s approval of the 101-widening project for the 1.4 miles from Olive Mill to San Ysidro. Chris Schmuckal, county planner for the 101 project, gave the staff presentation. Prior to February 2022, sound walls had […]
The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission unanimously approved the 101 project through Montecito at a hearing last week. “This is the most significant public works project we are going to see in our lifetime,” said Commissioner Laura Bridley. “I’m really proud of what it’s going to be when it’s built,” she said, adding a thank […]
In a six-hour meeting last week, the Montecito Planning Commission (MPC) completed their review of the 101 Highway project through Montecito, sending their recommendations and comments to the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission (SBPC). This was the final hearing in a series of three conceptual reviews at MPC. SBPC will consider the project at two […]
Summerland is blessed with the beautiful green thumb of Sonya Harris, who single-handedly created a garden scape with over 250 plants and stonework along Lillie Avenue’s sidewalk through the northbound 101 onramp. Caltrans was ready to bulldoze through that garden were it not for a good deed message from Kirsten Ayars, PR for the Caltrans […]
On Friday, June 17, community leaders marked the opening of the new freeway carpool lanes and project completion with a community celebration featuring local transit riders alongside Congressman Salud Carbajal, State Senator Monique Limón, Supervisor Das Williams, Carpinteria Mayor Wade Nomura, and local neighbors. This is the first completed segment of the Highway 101: Carpinteria […]
The Montecito Planning Commission had its first opportunity to look at the freeway widening project through Montecito last week, with a conceptual hearing held last Wednesday. The project had previously been seen by Montecito Board of Architectural Review in September, February, and March. Project planner Chris Schmuckal gave Commissioners a background on the regional transportation […]
Last week, Montecito Board of Architectural Review looked at several more design components of the 101 widening project through Montecito, potentially the last of a series of conceptual review meetings before the project comes back for preliminary approval once Caltrans’ application for the project is deemed complete by Santa Barbara County. As we’ve reported, four […]
At last week’s Montecito Planning Commission hearing, the Commission was briefed on the Highway 101 Widening Project, which will eventually be in front of the Commission for conceptual review once the project application is deemed complete. Project planner Nicole Lieu explained to the Commission that the final design of the project is still in flux […]
On February 3, we learned in a public meeting the Montecito segment of the 101 project would no longer have sound walls. The reason was hydraulic modeling that showed significant flood water rise in a major weather event. This was a major shock to the community. We’ve been looking at the project in our Land […]
Last week at a well-attended Montecito community meeting regarding the 101 freeway widening project through Montecito, reps from the project reported that sound walls that had been proposed in the Montecito portion have been removed due to flooding concerns. The project is in initial planning review with the County of Santa Barbara as part of […]
At last week’s Montecito Planning Commission hearing, commissioners voted unanimously to appoint commissioner Ron Pulice as the chair of the Commission. While there was some discussion about Pulice’s current non-resident status – he currently resides elsewhere in the county – it was decided that Pulice would be able to finish his term. Commissioners Susan Keller […]
It was a meaty agenda at this month’s Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting, which featured updates on the Highway 101 expansion through Montecito, the beginning of Smart Meter technology at Montecito Water District, and updates on proposed state housing bills that could have a significant effect on Montecito. Kirsten Ayars with the 101 widening […]
At a kick-off celebration on May 24, community leaders and stakeholders gathered under the Santa Claus Lane underpass of Highway 101 to mark the next phase of the freeway widening, called the Padaro Project, which includes the construction of seven- and-a-half miles of congestion-relief work between Carpinteria and Summerland. The project cost is approximately $200 […]
Earlier this week, the Montecito Association Board of Directors was shown preliminary renderings of the design of the widening of the 101 Freeway, which will eventually widen the freeway to three lanes in each direction between Sycamore Creek in the city of Santa Barbara up to Romero Creek in Montecito. Design engineer Zach Siviglia showed […]
Earlier this week, the Montecito Association’s Transportation & Land Use Committee received a presentation from representatives from the Highway 101 HOV project, who gave the committee a preliminary sneak peek of design elements for the highway widening through Montecito. The project will eventually widen the freeway to three lanes in each direction between Sycamore Creek […]
